By Ervin Lisaku
TIRANA, March 19 – Albania’s Italian coach Christian Panucci has expressed concern over the condition of some key players due to few playing opportunities with their clubs as the national side takes on Norway in a friendly in few days.
Albania will play home to Norway on March 26, in the first 2018 test ahead of next September’s inaugural UEFA Nations League, a tournament that largely replaces friendlies but which will also play a major part in the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign by deciding the final four places via play-offs.
The Italian coach, who in mid-2017 replaced compatriot Gianni De Biasi, has called up four new players for the Norway friendly and left out veteran players such as Ansi Agolli, the 35-year-old Albania captain in several matches over the past couple of years and who made it to the Champions League group stage with Azerbaijan’s Qarabag this season.
Two of the new entries come from the Albanian Superliga and two others from the Swiss and Croatian top leagues. Kristal Abazaj, the 21-year-old Luftetari striker who has scored eight goals in the Albanian Superliga this season, is the surprise name on Panucci’s 24-man list, receiving his first call.
“I am a little concerned over the fact that the players are not playing much with their clubs. That was the reason I decided to play a single friendly and work for one week with the players who have been called up,” Panucci told a news conference on Monday.
Panucci said he had decided to leave out Ansi Agolli because of his age and was considering a replacement for him given the fact that he turns 38 during the 2020 qualifying campaign.
Thirteen other players have also been left out of the squad because of injuries or technical choices, including playmaker Ledian Memushaj who is suffering a red card suspension following last November’s friendly with Turkey whom 10-man Albania surprised with an away victory.
Currently, four of Albania’s top players are not in their best shape due to few playing opportunities with their own clubs.
Albania’s key striker of the past few years, Armando Sadiku, has been having a tough time during the past year after leaving Switzerland and playing for half a season with Poland’s Legia Warsaw before moving to Spain’s Levante where he has not been a first attacking choice since joining in late January 2018.
Forward Sokol Cikalleshi has also been struggling to make the starting lineup with Turkey’s Osmanlispor, currently in the relegation zone of the Turkish top league.
Defender Mergim Mavraj, who has also served as Albania’s captain in few occasions, has also lost his place with Hamburger who this year face a real relegation threat ranking bottom in the German Bundesliga.
Ledian Memushaj is also no longer a first choice for relegation-bound Benevento in Italy’s Serie A. However, several other Albania national side players in the Italian top league, including Napoli fullback Elseid Hysaj and Lazio and Atalanta goalkeepers, have been shining this year.
“I can say that we have established the core of the team with 20 players. The team is getting shaped and until next June, I will test players aged between 26 to 28 who will be the core,” Panucci said.
Norway test
Albania will play Norway at the Elbasan Arena stadium on Monday, March 26 at 19:00 local time.
Norway are a team that Albania have played four times in the past two decades in the Euro and World Cup qualification campaigns, having won one game and drawn twice.
In the March FIFA ranking, Norway lost one place to rank 57th while Albania climbed one step to 58th out of 206 national sides globally.
Norway take on Albania following a 1-0 away injury time loss to Slovakia while Albania stunned Turkey with 3-2 away victory in last November’s friendlies.
Both Albania and Norway failed to make it the 2020 Russia World Cup.
Nations League opportunity
Albania have been drawn against Scotland and Israel in the maiden UEFA Nations League, in the sole League C group that features three teams.
Albania will start the campaign on Sept. 7, 2018 when they host Israel, a team Albania first faced in the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with both sides managing to get 3-0 away victories in their two-legged encounters, but Albania finishing third in a tough group campaign dominated by Spain and Italy.
Scotland, a team which Albania has never faced before is the toughest team in the group, with a lot of experience in World Cup and European tournaments, but having failed to reach a major finals since the 1998 World Cup.
Albania travel to Scotland on Sept. 10, three days after playing Israel, to conclude their first-leg Nations League fixtures. The second leg-games will be away to Israel on Oct. 14 and at home to Scotland on Nov. 17.
Coach Christian Panucci has earlier described the Nations League group as balanced, but said he would have preferred a four-team group.
“That is a very balanced group with three tough teams. It’s a group with three teams that allows you to make fewer mistakes. We will rival for the first place,” said Panucci.
The UEFA Nations League will provide teams with another chance to qualify for the UEFA Euro final tournament, with four sides from each league qualifying through play-off matches which take place in March 2020.
Chances for Albania and other contenders to make it to the Euro 2020 in case of failing to qualify directly as the top two group stage teams in the qualification campaign, are only through the National League tournament as the third-placed team is no longer provided a play-off opportunity.
Chances increase as if a UEFA Nations League group winner has already qualified via the European Qualifiers, then their spot will go to the next best-ranked team in their league.
The Euro 2020 qualifying campaign is scheduled to begin in March 2019 after ten groups are drawn in December 2018.
Panucci’s lead
A former AC Milan, Real Madrid defender whose Albania job is his first experience as a national side manager, Panucci has been in charge since mid-2017, succeeding compatriot Gianni De Biasi who led Albania to a first ever appearance at a major tournament such as the Euro 2016.
Panucci has led Albania in five games since taking over in mid-2017, winning a World Cup qualifier against modest Liechtenstein and a friendly against Turkey, but losing to European superpowers Spain and Italy and drawing against neighboring Macedonia.
His lineup has been more offensive compared to the De Biasi era.
Panucci’s managerial experience started in 2012 when he served as assistant to Fabio Capello, one of the greatest Italian coaches, when he was leading the Russian national side. Panucci also managed Serie B sides Livorno, Ternana before taking over as Albania’s coach.
